Pallet racking systems are to a warehouse as a skeleton is to a body. Both provide structure and support to an overall entity.

As end users expand their existing facilities or build new warehouses, new pallet storage is likely to be part of the conversation. The shift in rapid order fulfilment has impacted the types of pallet racking systems that are in demand, end users are still looking for selective rack, but there has been more activity in recent years in flow systems and multi-level pick systems for rapid fulfilment.There are great reasons to have either traditional rack or sophisticated rack for automated pallet storage and retrieval systems in your facility. Both can have a significant impact on an operation's ability to maximize inventory turns, minimize the amount of product on hand and turn it rapidly.

To determine which pallet racking system is right for your operation, lets go back to basics.

Pallet racking systems are a key component of any warehouse or distribution centre, and one of the most important tools in the materials handling industry. Variations of these steel structures keep product organized, provide storage, and maximize cube space from floor to ceiling. More importantly, they are central to getting product out the door. A good rack system literally and figuratively supports order picking.

Basic pallet racking systems consists of upright steel frames connected by horizontal steel beams. Pallets rest on the beams between the upright frames. Two frames and the corresponding beams create a bay. The number of pallet positions in a bay depends on the height of the frames and the spacing of the beams. High-rise storage systems can reach 100 feet, but 20 to 25 feet is a typical rack height

Pallet racking systems can generally be divided into two broad categories: low-density systems that allow easy access to product, or high-density systems that make better use of space but limit access to stored product. Here is look at what the different systems offer.

LOW-DENSITY RACK

Single-deep

The most common pallet storage solution in warehouses and distribution centres, loads are stored one pallet deep; this is the lowest density storage of any system and allows unimpeded access to every pallet.

Double-deep

Stores one pallet load behind another in a structure that is twice as deep as single-deep. This design doubles storage, but it limits access and flexibility.

HIGH-DENSITY RACK

Drive-in rack

Can be configured to store loads four or more deep, creating very dense storage. A drive-in system that stores pallets four high and five deep can hold 20 pallet loads in each bay.In a drive-in system, lift trucks drive into the front of a storage bay, place a load in the designated position then back out. Pallets are stored on a last-in/first-out basis.

Drive-through rack

Drive-through rack allows lift trucks to enter from either end. This means an aisle is required at both ends of the structure, but it increases access to pallet loads and can be loaded from one end and emptied from the other, enabling first-in/first-out product rotation.